


You Contain Multitudes

by QueenThayet



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Established Relationship, Feelings, Fluff, M/M, references to other fics, so meta it hurts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 15:03:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11923410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenThayet/pseuds/QueenThayet
Summary: So what if all Inception AUs were just Eames' dreams starring himself and projections of Arthur?





	You Contain Multitudes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [earlgreytea68](https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgreytea68/gifts).



> This is literally all due to a discussion on the inception slack chat yesterday. And then I had to write it. So I hope you're all happy, lol.

Eames didn’t keep his extra-curricular PASIV time a secret from Arthur, but he also hadn’t invited Arthur to join him, so Arthur felt a momentary pang of guilt over invading Eames’ dream. But Eames knew Arthur had joined his dream almost immediately anyway, and he didn’t shoot him or yell at him, or do anything other than raise an eyebrow and continue on with the dream. 

Arthur watched Eames’ dream, staying out of the way and taking care not to change anything, just watching it, like he would watch a play. Eames was working at a coffee shop, and Arthur seemed to be a lawyer, although a fairly unhappy one. He watched as he and Eames went from customer and owner, to friends, to in a relationship. And Arthur went from an unhappy lawyer to a happy co-owner of the coffee shop. And then the PASIV timer ran out and they woke up. 

Eames never said anything to Arthur about the dream. Arthur wasn’t sure what to say to Eames about it, or even what to think about it. It was a like a movie. Eames had imagined and starred in a movie of his own creation, with a projection of Arthur. But it was nice, sweet even. So Arthur also said nothing, and figured it was what it was. But then the next time Eames got out the PASIV to dream, he looked at Arthur and cocked an eyebrow. Arthur silently followed him into their bedroom and took the offered cannula before joining Eames on the bed. 

This time, Arthur was a real estate agent and Eames was a designer and they were on a TV show together. Arthur watched as they got together (fairly quickly this time after a false start) and then went on and lived their lives together. He watched as Eames seemed to enjoy being the most ridiculous and over the top version of himself, constantly making innuendos and grand gestures and kissing Arthur in ridiculous places. And he watched as Eames’ projection of him went from being closed off and anxious to more confident and joyful. They made friends and did new TV shows and went to clubs and got take out and teased each other. Eames always called Arthur’s projection “Darling.” And they were happy. And then the PASIV timer ran out and they woke up. 

Once again Eames didn’t say anything to Arthur about the dream, and Arthur didn’t say anything to Eames about it. But it quickly became a regular habit. If they weren’t on a job, Eames would let Arthur know when he was going to dream, and Arthur would join him and watch as Eames acted against different projections of Arthur. They were a bodyguard and pop star. They were a teahouse owner and knitting book writer. They were high school students together. They were a news anchor and a weatherman. They were a sommelier and chef. They were Olympic athletes. They were a hit man and a thief. They were a catsapian and a werewolf. They were in their normal jobs, except they were meeting James Bond. Or rescuing and adopting a child. No matter what they were doing, Eames was always Eames (although he played up different aspects of his personality depending on the role). But the projections of Arthur were always so different. Sometimes Arthur was single-minded and deadly and frightening. Sometimes Arthur was bookish and quiet. Sometimes Arthur was artistic and creative. Sometimes Arthur was organized and methodical and obsessed with spreadsheets. Sometimes he was sweet and demonstrative. Sometimes he was closed off and prickly. Sometimes flirty and seductive. 

Finally, after a dream where Eames was a ghost who was haunting Arthur’s apartment and they fell in love and eventually ended up in a poly relationship with a young man who was a medium (and who bore a strong resemblance to Robert Fischer), Arthur got up his courage to talk to Eames.

“Are you...unhappy with our life?” Arthur asked. 

Eames looked up from removing his cannula in surprise. “Of course not, Arthur. Why would you think that?”

“I’m always so different in your dreams. Your projections of me, I mean.”

“I’m just building and exploring different worlds. I’m quite different too. I was a ghost in this last one. And before that I was a unicorn,” Eames laughed. 

“Yeah, but you’re still always _you_ ,” Arthur said, “I’m like a different person in each dream.” He pursed his lips in frustration. He knew he wasn’t being clear and he didn’t want Eames to think that he was upset, because he _wasn’t_ he just wanted to understand what Eames wanted. 

“Well, right, but it’s a projection of you, so I have to pick and choose which parts of you to focus on, a projection can’t actually capture all of you,” Eames said, giving Arthur a concerned look. 

“Yes, I know,” Arthur said, “That’s why Cobb’s projection of Mal was so horrifying.”

“Is that what this is about, darling? If it’s bothering you, I can absolutely stop. Or if you’d like, you can actually join me in the dream, instead of just watching?”

“I do like watching,” Arthur reassured Eames. “It’s like a movie. Why do you dream like that?”

“That’s how I’ve always dreamed. The PASIV gives me a bit more control, obviously, but my dreams have always been like being in a story. And since I have that control, I pick stories that I like.”

“Huh,” Arthur said, “I don’t think I’ve ever had dreams like that. I guess I don’t know because I never remembered my dreams before I started using the PASIV.” 

“Apparently my vivid and sometimes lucid dreams were what made me a good candidate for project Somnacin. It certainly wasn’t my exemplary performance at following orders,” Eames rolled his eyes. 

“They’re just always about us, and I feel like the projections of me are just so varied... I don’t want you to be unhappy with our life. I know I’m a bit of a stick in the mud.” 

Eames reached over and brushed his hand on the side of Arthur’s face. “You’re really not, darling. And of course I dream about us, what else would I want to dream about? Who else would I want to have all these adventures with?”

“But it’s not really me. It’s just interesting people who look like me”

“Arthur, they’re all you, just different parts of you. I told you that.” 

“But I’m not actually like those Arthurs. I’m not frighteningly deadly, or creative, or hilariously clever, or good at picking wine, or houses or anything like that.”

“Oh Arthur, of course you are. You might not be good at picking wine or houses, but you could be if you wanted to be. You’re brilliant, and clever, and determined and frighteningly competent at everything you put your mind to. You’re funny and sweet and loving and creative. You are all of those things together. I couldn’t possibly ever capture the glorious complexity of you, of Arthur. So I just pick and choose different parts of you, depending on the story I decided to explore.” Eames held Arthur’s hands tightly and looked intensely into Arthur’s eyes, as if willing him to believe him. 

Arthur was shocked. He’d never thought of himself as complex. Or any of those things. He was just... Arthur. Boring Arthur. Who did his job, usually pretty well. Arthur who had gone from high school to West Point to Iraq and then into Project Somnacin, and then following Cobb into legitimate and illegitimate dreamshare business. 

“Do you really see me like that?” Arthur asked tentatively.

“Of course, Arthur. That’s who you are,” Eames said, leaning over to kiss Arthur. Arthur kissed him back, letting Eames’ lips reassure him. 

“Could I be in your dreams with you, instead of just watching?”

“Of course, darling. I’d love to have you join me.” Eames smiled at Arthur with his crooked teeth, looking so pleased that Arthur felt like maybe he could be all those different Arthurs after all.


End file.
